Nature Shares Her Brilliant Array of Colors

In many parts of the West region, a couple of frosty nights damaging to many tender garden plants will be followed by a long warm, fall period called "Indian Summer." It is a shame that so many plants are lost in this first short period of frost, for if protected, they might go on blooming for as long as a month or more. Covering with blankets, newspapers, or polyethylene tents during the nights when frosts threaten, will help ward off frost damage.

New evergreens that were planted this year will benefit from extra protection over the first winter. They are extremely sensitive to drying out. A burlap barrier or tent built on the windward side of the plants will reduce drying out from winter winds. Evergreens planted in open, exposed parts of the yard will especially benefit from such protection.

Fall Color

Many trees and shrubs will be clothed soon in a brilliant array of colors. There will be the deep yellows of birch, poplar, and aspen, and brilliant reds from various maples. Japanese barberry, Peking cotoneaster, and red osier dogwood will show striking color. Some shrubs and trees retain their natural green coloring until the end of the season, offering a striking contrast with the red, orange and yellow foliage. Other shrubs will bear colorful fruits.

Fall is clean-up time in the garden. Leaves should be raked up from the lawn. Allowed to gather on the lawn, they mat down during the winter and may smother some of the grass. Carry them off to the compost pile. Waste plant materials can also be removed from the garden to put on the compost. However, there are some advantages in leaving stalks and stems of plants in the garden over winter. They catch additional snow and give added protection to perennial flowering plants and sensation plant. Of course, if any of the plant tops are harboring disease, it is best to remove and burn them.

It may not be wise to mulch trees and shrubs. One of the greatest dangers of mulches around woody plants is that they often harbor mice. These in turn can be harmful to trees and shrubs by feeding on the bark and young stems and causing girdling of the plants. Be sure to spread around some poison bait, if mulches are used.

How to Choose Family Room Paint Colors

Family room paint colors allow you to make the rest of your room look updated even if it has been a while since you've replaced the furniture. It allows you to turn a plain white box into a home. Plus, this is one of the main living spaces of your home so you need to ensure that it works for every member of your family.

Consider a modern design. This will dictate your color palette but will also influence how the room works. This design style keeps accessories to a minimum and focuses on clean lines. This is the perfect style if you are short on space. It also makes your room feel decorated without being plain. An uncluttered look is essential for any space where there will be a lot of toys or where your kids need to study. For this kind of design style choose an ultra bright white, taupe or gray paint colors. You can also have the kids paint their own modern art and let them use whatever colors they want. This creates a gallery effect but also assures that everyone gets their favorite colors in the space.

Your family might be feuding over wall colors. One faction might want lavender or a feminine color and the other one wants a masculine red. You'll need to decide on a theme that you can all live with. Most people can really relate to nature. Pull in sunny yellow accent pieces or soft green paint colors for a room that everyone in the family can love. You can even base the room around a rock fireplace or rich wood floors. Bring in a lot of family photos for more color and a sentimental touch. You could even have a new portrait taken where you are all wearing the colors of your room.

Make a pattern with paint. You'll probably just want to keep this on just one wall. This allows you to make sense out of multiple paint colors. This could be as easy as painting an accent wall or mimicking wallpaper. You can even carefully tape off stripes. Vary the widths and the colors so it almost looks like fabric. This allows everyone in the family to get their favorite colors on the walls.

Family room paint colors should be inviting without being loud. You can create a welcoming space where your whole family will want to spend time together. Sometimes less is more but whether you go with a bright white paint or a rich red; remember it's about your family.